California

Name: Legendary Locals of Mill Valley
Brand: Joyce Kleiner
SKU: 9781467101288
Price: 17.49 USD
Availability: InStock

Plan all your California getaways with our Golden State catalog. Whip up the coast on the PCH to old San Francisco, where Gold Rush fever is slow to fade. Leave some flowers for Cecil B. DeMille and Johnny Ramone at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Get a progress report on the receding waters of the Salton Sea and the expanding minds in Northridge. From the fertile fields of Nevada County to the Venice Beach Boardwalk, experience the largesse and diversity of California's history with our California history books. [View all California books]

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Legendary Locals of Mill Valley

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

Monterey Fire Department

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

The Humboldt Wagon Road

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

World War II Sacramento

$21.99 $15.39 Save 30%

Towns of the Sacramento River Delta

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

Ocean Beach

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Legendary Locals of Yosemite National Park and Mariposa County

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Norco

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

San Antonio Heights

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

Daly City

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

Haunted Monterey County

$21.99 $15.39 Save 30%

Cemeteries of San Diego

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

Windsor

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

Legendary Locals of Huntington Beach

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

Gilroy

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

Rancho Cucamonga

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Pittsburg

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Pleasanton, California

$21.99 $15.39 Save 30%

Scotts Valley

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Alameda by Rail

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Ferries of San Francisco Bay

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First United Methodist Church of San Diego

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

Woodland

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San Francisco Bay Area Aviation

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Hermosa Beach

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

Golden Gate Park:

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Aptos

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Long Beach in Vintage Postcards

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The Benicia State Capitol

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Native Sons of the Golden West

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Yosemite's Historic Hotels and Camps

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Clayton

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Lemon Grove

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Modesto

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Legendary Locals of Mill Valley

9781467101288

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

Since the 1800s, Mill Valley has attracted spirited freethinkers, entrepreneurs, nature lovers, rabble-rousers, and more than a few rock stars. Early Mill Valley booster Sidney Cushing encouraged tourism with a train up Mount Tamalpais called "the Crookedest Railroad in the World." Laura White, more concerned with protecting Mill Valley's natural beauty than attracting more people, brought the town its "Outdoor Art Club" and a tradition of conservationism. Vera Schultz broke the glass ceiling of local politics in 1946, and in 1973, 10-year-old Jenny Fulle's letter to President Nixon changed the future of America's female athletes. When an elementary school teacher named Rita Abrams wrote a song about why she loved Mill Valley, it became a national hit; so did a song about the heart of rock and roll, written by local boy Huey Lewis, who had attended that same school. The stories of Mill Valley's legendary locals--whether from 1890 or 1980--are sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes inspiring, often humorous, and always fascinating.

Monterey Fire Department

9780738576237

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For more than 129 years, the firefighters of the Monterey Fire Department have provided outstanding service to the people of Monterey. The department has protected the community since 1882, when the first brigade was a handful of citizens armed with buckets and axes. In 2010, a total of 64 firefighters responded to 6,233 calls. This book is dedicated to the memory of Monterey's firefighters, who have all served valiantly.

The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History

9781467128339

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Facing the radiant Monterey Bay, anchored proudly between Pacific Grove's downtown and famed Lovers Point beach, is the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. The historic museum was founded in 1883 to house specimens collected by the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle in the days when horse-drawn carriages still meandered down a dirt road known today as Lighthouse Avenue. What started as a small octagonal building in what is now known as Jewell Park soon became a more impressive edifice, thanks largely to the help of community members like Mary Norton, the museum's first curator, and Lucie Chase, who donated to the construction of a new building in 1932. Others, including noted collector and taxidermist Rollo Beck and scientist Ed Ricketts, friend of author and Pacific Grove resident John Steinbeck, donated amazing specimens that remain on display.

The Humboldt Wagon Road

9780738576435

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This book offers readers an opportunity to ride the historic Humboldt Wagon Road from Chico to Susanville through images that have been collected since the 1860s. Many never-before-published photographs and oral histories tell a story of people who established what has been called this "small corner of the West." In the 1850s, John Bidwell, a California pioneer, agriculturist, businessman, and politician, envisioned a freight and passenger route that would connect San Francisco, the Sacramento River, and his newly established community of Chico. He wanted it to cross the mountains to the gold and silver mines in Idaho and Nevada. Bidwell financed, constructed, and opened the road for horses, wagons, stagecoaches, and eventually trucks and automobiles. From the Civil War era until the present, the road has carried everything from lumber to tourists.

World War II Sacramento

9781467138086

$21.99 $15.39 Save 30%

Spurred into action by the attack on Pearl Harbor, Sacramento dragged itself out of the morass of the Great Depression and joined the war effort. Local citizens trained for Japanese attacks through Civilian Defense, cultivated thousands of acres of victory gardens and harnessed the agricultural riches of the region. Tens of thousands engaged in war work at local bases like the new McClellan Field, while Sacramento's diverse servicemen distinguished themselves in combat overseas. They would later return and transform the city into the modern Sacramento of today. Exclusive images and stories from the Special Collections of the Sacramento Public Library bring this story to life.

Towns of the Sacramento River Delta

9780738596266

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

What can be considered the first major exploration of the Sacramento River, from its mouth northward, began on May 13, 1817, when Padres Duran and Abella and 20 other men under the command of Lt. Louis Antonio Argullo sailed in two launches up the river. They continued north until May 20, 1817, when they turned back. The group recorded their point of farthest exploration by carving a cross into an oak tree; some believe this point is near the present-day town of Freeport. Three decades later, Clarksburg was established, followed by Walnut Grove, Paintersville, Rio Vista, Onsibo, Freeport, Courtland, Emmaton, Isleton, Vorden, Ryde, Hood, and Locke. Each one of the settlements has its own exciting tale about its founders and the origins of the name that it was given.

Ocean Beach

9781467128025

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Water defines Ocean Beach by its unique location where the Pacific Ocean meets the mouth of the San Diego River, alongside Mission Bay, formerly known as False Bay, which connected to tidal marsh areas. The beach town's natural attractions and new prospects brought early settlers to Ocean Beach when it was established in 1887 by William "Billy" Carlson and Frank Huggins. Ocean Beach's landmass history is shaped and reshaped by major storms, wave and tidal surges, and droughts, which in turn transform the community's natural habitat, culture, and development. For example, the Ocean Beach Woman's Club's (OBWC) Flatiron Building, constructed on the shoreline, was destroyed by several storms from 1939 through 1941 and later removed, and the area where it once stood was turned into a park. The OBWC later moved its permanent headquarters away from the beach. The history and fabric of this unique ocean community is made up of an assortment of characters and spirited generations of individuals who have left their loving marks through their homes, gardens, businesses, stories, achievements, and community activities.

Legendary Locals of Yosemite National Park and Mariposa County

9781467101646

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In 1846, Thomas Larkin, American council general to the Mexican government in California, purchased a Mexican land grant, Las Mariposas, for Col. John C. Fremont. The grant consisted of 10 square leagues of grazing land located near the Merced River and west of the Sierra. In 1848, when California became the possession of the United States, the treaty called for the recognition of preexisting grants. Gold was discovered in the foothills of the Sierra that same year. Fremont floated his questionable Mexican grant into the gold discovery region. With the formation of the State of California in 1850, one of the original counties was named Mariposa, Spanish for "butterflies." Located within the county was the Fremont grant and much of the yet undiscovered Yosemite region of the Sierra. Encounters with Native Americans near the mining camps lead to the formation of the Mariposa Battalion, and a search for the natives led to the American discovery of Yosemite Valley. Thus, it was custodians and photographers such as Charles Leander Weed, Carlton E Watkins, J.J. Riley, George Fiske, Ansel Adams, and many others that interpreted and introduced Yosemite to the world.

Norco

9780738530352

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

Norco's motto, "City Living in a Rural Atmosphere," is clearly reflected in this town where horses trot down the street next to cars and are frequently seen hitched up outside of local shops. In the late 1920s and 1930s, Norco was the home of the Norconian Club, an out-of-the-way hot spot for the Hollywood crowd. Built by city founder Rex B. Clark in 1928, the 900-acre luxury resort featured a 55-acre lake, hot sulfur spring, five-story hotel, casino, golf course, and a private airport. The club was sold in 1941 and eventually became the U.S. Naval Warfare Assessment Center, as well as the California Rehabilitation Center. The home of national rodeos and other premium equestrian activity, this unique community of more than 25,000 residents is tucked into Riverside County's southwestern corner and crisscrossed with 90 miles of horse trails. The archival photographs in this chronological compendium depict the founding, growth, and modern development of Norco.

San Antonio Heights

9780738596310

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San Antonio Heights is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County nestled at the head of historic Euclid Avenue. The rich history of this area can be traced back to the community's distinctive design, carved out by its curved and circular streets, which officially took shape in 1887. These curves and circles, as well as San Antonio Heights' profoundly independent residents, typify a charming community on the hill. San Antonio Heights and San Antonio Canyon were a main stage for many innovations of irrigation, hydroelectric power, passenger railroad, and other conveniences that contributed to an improved quality of life for the entire nation.

Daly City

9780738528670

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Nestled in the shadow of San Bruno Mountain and known as "The Gateway City" for its proximity to San Francisco, Daly City is much more than a typical suburb. A thriving and diverse community built along El Camino Real (The King's Highway), the road that connected all of the Spanish Missions in California, the city has evolved from a quaint agricultural town to an important business, residential, and transit center. This new collection of images, mostly vintage and rarely seen photographs, tells the city's journey from the original Spanish land grant through its 1911 incorporation and on to modern times. The town has always been cosmopolitan, developed with the help of Irish, German, and Italian settlers, and today's large numbers of Hispanic and Filipino residents. Aside from natural wonders like San Bruno Mountain and the dramatic Pacific coastline, Daly City also has man-made landmarks like the Cow Palace, which has long been host to large-scale events such as the Grand National Rodeo and political conventions. Nearby Colma is known for its cemeteries, but as readers will see in this book, shares a surprisingly rich history with Daly City.

Haunted Monterey County

9781467142359

$21.99 $15.39 Save 30%

From the vistas of Big Sur to the streets of Monterey, the souls of the dead still linger. The Mission San Carlos Borromeo, today known as the Carmel Mission, is the site of numerous unmarked graves from centuries past. Montereyâ€™s Cannery Row once housed the lab of marine biologist Ed Ricketts, who was struck by a train there in 1948â€"some say on a quiet night you can still hear the sound of the wreck. In Salinas, the Steinbeck House is known for its charming atmosphere and delightful meals, as well as visits from John Steinbeck, despite the fact that he died in 1968. Join writer Patrick Whitehurst as he explores tales of the supernatural and Monterey Countyâ€™s haunted locales.

Cemeteries of San Diego

9780738547145

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San Diego has a rich and unique cultural history that can be effectively told through the commemoration of its dead. Local cemeteries throughout the city reflect San Diego's multiethnic cultural dynamism and pinpoint marked shifts in power from Native American to Spanish to Mexican to American governance. They also reveal the current struggle for space in a burgeoning metropolis. Graveyards, with their individually detailed and hauntingly beautiful monuments, offer an unrivaled historic yet continuous glimpse at the essence of this diverse community. The story of San Diego's cemeteries is a telling narrative that offers remarkable insight into the evolution of "America's Finest City."

Windsor

9780738529028

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Legend states that the town of Windsor in Sonoma County was named for its similarity to the beautiful parklands surrounding England's Windsor Castle. Once open grasslands covered with majestic oaks, this breathtaking pastoral landscape bordering the Russian River captivated settlers, who came to start businesses or grow grain, grapes, hops, and prunes on the rich river bottomland. For decades Windsor kept the quiet rhythm of a small, independent farm community, hardly broken by the addition of an army air base and a camp for German POWs during World War II.

Legendary Locals of Huntington Beach

9781467101868

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For over 100 years, Huntington Beach, a.k.a. "Surf City, USA," has come to represent the true beach culture of Southern California. Originally called Pacific City, it was when railroad magnate Henry Huntington first ran his train line down in 1904 from Los Angeles, approximately 40 miles north, that the then-quaint beach town took on the name that made it famous around the state and around the world. In 1914, the legendary George Freeth put on a surfing exhibition the day the city's vaunted concrete pier was opened, which christened Huntington Beach as a soon-to-be surfing mecca. It became a boomtown after oil was discovered in 1920 and, several decades later, morphed once again into a cradle of aerospace engineering when companies such as Boeing arrived. Throughout its tumultuous and dramatic history, Huntington Beach has always boasted a cast of colorful and profound characters. From the first mayor, Ed Manning, to Medal of Honor-recipient Chris Carr, from the Zamboni family (who invented the ice-cleaning machine) to baseball star Jeff Kent: the list is almost endless. But it is not just professional athletes, actors, and rock stars; it is the teachers, crossing guards, merchants, and activists that give Huntington Beach its well-earned reputation as one of the most interesting and charismatic cities in the state.

Gilroy

9780738528601

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Located along the El Camino Real at the crossroads of the Pacheco and Hecker Pass highways, Gilroy is surrounded by the rich farmland of southern Santa Clara County. The region boasts a mineral hot springs, prime grazing land in the eastern foothills, and redwood forests to the west. In addition to successful lumbering enterprises, vast cattle ranches, and thriving resorts, Gilroy claims to be "The Garlic Capital of the World." From the early settlements of the Ohlone, through the vibrant Rancho era and post "gold-fever" boom, to the present-day world-famous Garlic Festival, this book illustrates the unique history of this town at the southern end of Silicon Valley. Drawn from the archives of the Gilroy Museum and the albums of pioneer families are more than 200 vintage images of the businesses, dwellings, pastimes, hopes, and high-jinks of the individuals who made Gilroy what it is today.

Rancho Cucamonga

9780738575001

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Located at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains near the southern end of the Cajon Pass, Rancho Cucamonga has served as a natural crossroads for those traveling to and from Southern California. In 1776, while freedom was being declared on the east coast of North America, Spanish explorers were meeting native Cucamonga Indians for the first time. From that point on, Spanish missionaries, pioneers, gold miners, immigrants, settlers, and businessmen traveled through Cucamonga on the Mojave Trail, the Old Spanish Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, El Camino Real, and more recently, former U.S. Route 66. While some continued on, others stayed and built farms, vineyards, and more. Italian immigrants, attracted by stories of Cucamonga's ideal soil and climate, planted vast vineyards of Italian grape stock and produced many world-famous wines. Although Cucamonga's heyday of grapes and winemaking spanned a century, little wine is produced today. Now Rancho Cucamonga attracts people as an excellent place to live. Money magazine placed it in the top 100 in its "Best Places to Live" rankings in 2006.

Pittsburg

9780738529042

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Situated at the far reaches of the Bay Area, Pittsburg has long been perceived as a commuter town, an out-of-the-way bedroom community. Yet this city has a rich and varied history stretching back to the early days of statehood and has played an important role in commerce, both to the state and to the Bay Area. Before long the burgeoning city had a fishing industry rivaling that of San Francisco's famed Fisherman's Wharf and a largely Italian fishing community. By the 1900s, a surprising number of industries set up factories along the waterfront property of Pittsburg. In 1942, the beginning of World War II brought the building of Camp Stoneman, an important departure point for many servicemen. Later, the city became known as a residential destination. Readers of this book will surely see Pittsburg in a new light as they enjoy the surprising and varied tales of the city's previous generations.

Pleasanton, California

9781626193536

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Pleasanton is known today as the "City of Planned Progress," home to tech companies, grand houses and the Alameda County Fairgrounds. A century and a half ago, however, it was little more than an idea--a real estate project in the Bay Area backwater conceived to profit from the railroad's advance through the Amador-Livermore Valley. Discover Pleasanton's evolution from open range to a thriving modern city. From the Ohlone encounter with the Spanish to the city's formal incorporation and beyond, author Ken MacLennan and the Museum on Main offer up an incisive and detailed look at Pleasanton's history.

Scotts Valley

9781467115711

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Nestled among the spreading oaks of Santa Cruz County, just north of Monterey Bay, lies the city of Scotts Valley. First used as a hunting and camping spot on a Native American trading route, and later a stop on the stage route over the Santa Cruz Mountains, Scotts Valley has a long tradition of providing respite to weary travelers. Hiram Scott purchased the 4,447-acre Rancho San Agustin in 1850, built the community's first wood-frame house, and sold parcels of land that became dairies, farms, ranches, and lumber mills. In the 20th century, with the popularity of the family automobile, several attractions were opened throughout the valley. Travelers escaped the summer heat by flocking to the Tree Circus, Santa's Village, and the Lost World. Today, Scotts Valley remains a family-oriented community offering small-town charm and hospitality.

Alameda by Rail

9780738547060

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Across the great bay from San Francisco, the city of Alameda evolved into an island hometown of fine Victorian and Craftsman architecture and a port containing a naval air station, shipbuilding center, and the winter home of the long-gone Alaska Packers fleet of "tall ships." But Alameda also was a busy railroad town. In 1864, a passenger railroad with a ferry connection created a commute to San Francisco. In 1869, the city became the first Bay Area terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad. Alameda became an island because a railroad allowed construction crews to dig a tidal canal, separating it from Oakland in 1902. Later generations rode steam, then electric, trains to a grand ferry pier where ornate watercraft guided them the 20 minutes to San Francisco. An auto tube, and later the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, hastened the demise of ferry, then rail, operations before World War II.

Ferries of San Francisco Bay

9780738547312

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Decades before San Francisco Bay was crisscrossed by bridges, an extensive network of ferries plied these green waters, moving passengers, vehicles, and freight between San Francisco, Alameda, Marin, Solano, Sonoma, and Contra Costa Counties. Very few of the ferries survive today, but at one time, elegant and sturdy vessels like the Santa Clara, Sacramento, Encinal, Eureka, Oakland, and Tamalpais ruled the waves and supported the critical commerce of this region. From the early days of single-enders, double-enders, stern-wheelers, and side-wheelers burning coal and crude oil, to more modern designs of diesel-powered craft, these vessels have long been an important link in Bay Area transport, along with their railway connections. Equipped with up to four decks, the ferries' cargoes included commuters, livestock, automobiles, mail, convicts, express packages, and even entire railroad trains.

First United Methodist Church of San Diego

9781467102650

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First United Methodist Church (UMC) of San Diego has worshipped in several locations throughout San Diego, California, since February 1869. As the city of San Diego grew, so did the church. The first locations were near the waterfront and in the neighborhood that is known today as the Gaslamp Quarter. From 1870 to 1906, the church was in the heart of what is now downtown. In 1906, the congregation decided to move a few blocks northeast, and it worshipped from 1907 to 1963 in a Gothic Revival-style sanctuary designed by Irving J. Gill. In the late 1950s, even with additions, First Church was outgrowing its space, and so it moved again, to a location in Mission Valley. In 1963, construction began on a Spanish contemporary-style church that was completed in 1964 and continues to be an iconic landmark in San Diego. Over the years, the church's reach has expanded to multiple sites and many congregations.

Woodland

9780738589008

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The images in this book document the intertwining of country and city in the character of Woodland, California, since the town's birth in 1853. The flat, rich land of the Great Central Valley, along with its Mediterranean climate and access to water for irrigation, enabled Yolo County to become a top producer of diverse agricultural products, ranging from almonds and tomatoes to grapes and rice. The wealth of the county flowed into Woodland, the county's seat of government, the largest market town, and the major agricultural processing center. As a result, Woodland produced distinguished architecture, abundant cultural and leisure activities, and prosperous businesses. The city's history reflects its ties to local agriculture but also to nearby metropolitan Sacramento and to larger events affecting American society, including technological and organizational innovations, war and social movements, and changing patterns of immigration.

San Francisco Bay Area Aviation

9780738547237

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From hot-air balloons to jets, no other location has a more diverse aviation history than the San Francisco Bay Area. Aside from private and commercial airline operations, the area has housed the NACA/NASA Research Center, the prestigious Boeing School of Aeronautics, and the dirigible USS Macon. It is currently the center for antique aircraft in Northern California and has been the site of numerous flight records, including the Dole Race and Amelia Earhart's circumnavigation attempts. San Francisco was also home to the pioneer Pan American Airways flying boat, which opened the Pacific Ocean to air travel.

Hermosa Beach

9780738547091

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Unlike most Los Angeles County beach communities, the City of Hermosa Beach owns its own beach. But perhaps more than most coastal Southern California destination cities, Hermosa Beach represents shared experience, detailed on thousands of postcards over the decades. This greater square mile of sand, surf, and sun has conjured cherished memories for fishermen, surfers, and volleyball players as well as jazz fans, diners and tavern celebrants, and simply lovers of the beach who found lifelong or short-term happiness in Hermosa. These postcards recall many bygone landmarks and changing lifestyles and celebrate the Hermosa Beach century (1907-2007).

Golden Gate Park:

9780738528533

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An oasis of peace and nature in a crowded city, San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is one of the largest and most diverse parks in the world. Spanning over 1,000 acres, the park is home to gardens, lakes, museums, athletic fields, even a paddock for bison. It is wildly popular with locals and tourists alike, and through the years visitors have always enjoyed sending postcards from this amazing place. Through this collection of early postcards from 1894 through 1940, readers will experience classic views of Golden Gate Park, including some that no longer exist. Encompassing the park's famed monuments, statues, windmills, lakes, streams, and beautiful attractions like the bandshell and the Japanese Tea Garden, these images detail a fascinating place that stays with everyone who visits.

Aptos

9780738599656

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Aptos is a coastal town filled with beaches, a federally protected redwood forest, a community college, shopping centers, a golf course, and more. It is also home to the self-proclaimed "World's Shortest Parade," which takes place every Fourth of July. The true meaning of Aptos lacks definitive evidence; however, all sources agree that it is derived from an Indian word. The most common belief is that Aptos translates to "the meeting of two streams" or some variation of that phrase. The two bodies of water the name describes are known today as the Valencia and Aptos Creeks. Another explanation is that the town is named after a famous Indian chief. A third theory comes from Fr. Juan Crespi's interpretation of the native language on the Portola Expedition of 1769. Although the native people had been here for thousands of years, the first deed of land was not granted to Rafael Castro until 1833. In its relatively short life, Aptos has changed significantly.

Long Beach in Vintage Postcards

9780738507880

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Long Beach successfully incorporated as a city in 1888, and would eventually become California's fifth largest city. Author Marlin Heckman has compiled over 200 vintage postcards to chronicle the history of the "Queen of Beaches." Competition between the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific Railroads brought great numbers of visitors to Southern California at the turn of the century. Resort hotels, apartments, pavilions, and band shells quickly dotted the landscape to accommodate the massive influx of tourists. Seen here are the more famous Long Beach attractions, including Rainbow Pier, the Sun Pavilion, the Hotel del Mar, and the great "Walk of a Thousand Lights," or the Pike, as it was better known.

The Benicia State Capitol

9781467143844

$21.99 $15.39 Save 30%

In February 1853, Benicia was chosen as the third capital of the new state of California. Along with San Jose, Vallejo and Sacramento, Benicia had been vying for the honor of hosting the legislature, and competition was fierce. Benicia was not the first choice, nor did it have what many politicians considered critical amenities, but it had something the others didn't: a beautiful, Greek-style capitol building available for use. Political rivalries and land disputes would eventually cause Sacramento to be awarded the capital, but for nearly thirteen months, Benicia held that distinction. Author James E. Lessenger provides an inside look at the politics at play in the fledgling Golden State and their effect on the ambitions of Benicia.

Native Sons of the Golden West

9780738530918

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Friendship. Loyalty. Charity. These are the values of the Native Sons of the Golden West, the organization that, since 1875, has dedicated itself to the mission of preserving the physical vestiges of California history. Through the years, this group has helped to save, memorialize, and restore such treasures as Sutter's Fort, the Monterey Custom House, the Vallejo Petaluma Adobe, and many of the California missions. Starting out in San Francisco, the Native Sons now has 75 "parlors," or chapters, statewide. With nearly 9,000 history-minded members, the Native Sons are known worldwide for their pageantry, pomp, and parades, as they keep alive the traditions of history.

Yosemite's Historic Hotels and Camps

9780738599977

$21.99 $17.49 Save 20%

Yosemite National Park is a place of extraordinary natural beauty with renowned waterfalls, spectacular granite rock formations, and serene meadows. Although indigenous peoples already inhabited Yosemite, settlers of European descent found their way there beginning in 1851. To serve the steady growth of tourists and visitors, lodging and accommodations have always been central to the park's history. The popularity of postcards starting in the early 1900s and lasting several decades coincided with the growth of the park's hotels and camps, transportation, and entertainment. This book of vintage postcards illustrates and chronicles those places and events. It provides visitors with an understanding and appreciation for the unique and diverse places made available to tourists throughout Yosemite's history.

Clayton

9780738530932

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Today's Clayton is an elegant, relaxing place, an oasis of calm isolated from the rest of fast-paced Contra Costa County. This place exists because of the vision of founder Joel Clayton, who was born in Bugsworth, England, in 1812. Clayton made his way to the United States, where he became an entrepreneur and land developer in the East before moving with his family to California, where he envisioned and then built an agricultural and mining center in these rolling hills in 1857. The miners and farmers here worked the land to serve the rapidly developing urban civilization in the Bay Area, which before long reached the little village. Gradually the farms and mining camps gave way to country estates and, later, to the sylvan community we know today.

Lemon Grove

9780738571935

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Lemon Grove dates to 1892 when it first appeared in the San Diego County records as "Lemon Grove." The tiny, whistle-stop town emerged during the "second gold rush," the rise of California's citrus industry, which was facilitated by the 1849 Gold Rush, the break up of the Mexican ranchos in Alta California, and the advent of statehood for California in 1850. Land speculators poured into California, lured by the exquisite climate, five growing seasons, and the possibilities for success in agriculture and business. Lemon Grove became home to gentlemen farmers from the East and Midwest, whose descendants live on in the community to this day.

Modesto

9780738571508

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Settled in 1870 by the Central Pacific Railroad, Modesto is located in California's agriculturally rich Central Valley. The new town was to be named after the prominent California banker W. C. Ralston, but, as city lore and legend tell it, his "modest" refusal led to the name Modesto. Originally a wheat-producing region, the city blossomed with the arrival of irrigation, and fruit orchards and vineyards soon grew in abundance. The county seat of Stanislaus County, Modesto became an agricultural hub, with the motto "Water Wealth Contentment Health" emblazoned on an iconic arch at the town's entrance. California's original junior college is located here along with E. & J. Gallo Winery, the world's largest privately held winery, family run since 1933. Twice named an All American City, Modesto inspired native son George Lucas when he made his classic American Graffiti in 1973.